Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-08-20
"TOWN INDIANS.'
A N1GHT VISIT TO A PUEBLO
VILLAGE IN NEW MEXICO.
Remnants of an Ancient Race en-
like Any Other Indians-Eveu-
ing Fires on the Housetops-
Customs of the People.

4 correspondent of the New York Post,
who visited Pueblo Indian village in
New Mexico by night, writes an account
of what he saw. He says in part: The
houses, unlike others of their villages
that have visited, are but one and two
stories high. They are all Joined, like
the brick houses of a city block, and col
lectively from three sides of square,
with an open plaza in the centre facing
toward the Rio Grande. The Pueblo Of
Taos is five stories in height, built in the
form of square, each story terraced back
from the one under it. At distance it
resembles a great pyramid. No doors are
cut through on the ground floor. The in
terror is reached by ladders and openings
in the roofs. Each succeeding story
is reached only by means OF
these scaling ladders. This before
the advent of modern implements Of
warfare formed an almost impregnable
fortress. The force of habit is still so
strong with these people that they con-
tinue to draw their ladders up at night
with the same precaution that it was
necessary for them to use centuries ago,
when the Navajos and the Apaches
waged a deadly and incessant warfare
against them. The old church at the
Pueblo of Santa Clara stands on the
north side of the plaza. 1t is something
like eighty feet in length with walls four
feet thick 1t was built by the Francis
can Friars, and was standing at the time
of the reconquest of New Mexicoin 1902.
1t was quite dark and the whole village
seemed to be on fire. Flames were burst
ing from the roofs of nearly every house.
My guide explained that this was then
baking night, and thes ovens
which are built upon the house
tops, were being heated. These
ovens are built of adobe, conical in form,
and resembling the beehive of olden rep.
resentation. The walls are made very
thick in order to retain the heat. An
opening in the door some eighteen inches
in diameter is left in one side, and six
inch hole for draught in the top, and il
was from these draught openings thai
flames from the dry pinyon and cedar
wood was bursting to the height of eight
or ten feet The whole plaza presented
a sight at once weird, novel, and inter
csting, brilliantly illuminated as it was
by these bright house-top fires. Groups
of Indians were squatted here and there
smoking cigarettes. Near the corral
three Indians were butchering some
goats. Women were cooking over sep
arate camp fires built just out
side the doors of their houses
Family groups occupied the cheer
fully illuminated roofs, and were plainly
outlined against the sky as they
stood overlooking or conversing with
those upon the plaza. Children Of all
ages and all stages of nudity were
scampering here and there, screaming,
laughing, playing, yelling or crying.
Scores of dogs were running about,
eagerly shifting the fragrance of the
broiling goats meat. Groups of Indians
were continually arriving with burros
laden with wood, the result of their days
labor Some of the little animals were
so loaded down and covered that they
resembled moving wood-piles. Groups
of young men and maidens were dancing
about and hoarsely chanting their Indian
melodies. 1t was scene so novel and
un-American that the beholder might
well ask himself whether it was all a
dream, or transition to the real and
living mysteries of some far-off planet.
At the left of the plaza is large corral
built Of cedars set closely together in the
ground. This is public property, and is
used by the whole village for their sheep,
goats, and burros. In the centre Of this
corral above the height of a mans head a
scaffolding is built. This is divided into
sections, and the crops of corn raised by
the different Indians of the village are
stacked upon it until the time for husk-
ing. The husks are saved to be used for
many purposes, but principally as a sub
stitute for paper in rolling cigarettes.
The 'Estufa" of the village is near the
centre of :he plaza. This is a circular
room about twenty-five feet in diameter,
built almost entirely under ground, the
roof being raised some two feet from the
surface. The architecture of the
"Estufas' Of the different tribes is the
same, as they are all built strictly accord
ing to the directions of their long-lost
''Montezuma." They are entered by
means Of ladder. / proposed to GO
down, but my guide most emphatically
denied me that privilege. This room,